Soraya Sarhaddi Nelsonhttp://kvnf.org
enFor Americans Seeking Affordable Degrees, German Schools Beckonhttp://kvnf.org/post/americans-seeking-affordable-degrees-german-schools-beckon
Looking to escape the staggering costs of a university education in the United States? You are not alone.Sun, 28 Jun 2015 21:21:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson43242 at http://kvnf.orgFor Americans Seeking Affordable Degrees, German Schools BeckonFor Poland's Gay Community, A Shift In Public Attitudes, If Not Lawshttp://kvnf.org/post/polands-gay-community-shift-public-attitudes-if-not-laws
Around the world, <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/2015/06/01/gay-marriage-around-the-world-2013/">gay marriage is allowed</a> in more than 20 countries. Many European Union nations are enhancing rights for their gay, bisexual and transgender citizens. But Catholic Poland isn't one of them.<p>This former Soviet satellite constitutionally restricts marriage to a man and a woman.Thu, 25 Jun 2015 21:37:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson43139 at http://kvnf.orgFor Poland's Gay Community, A Shift In Public Attitudes, If Not LawsWith Tensions Rising, Poland Erects Observation Towers On Russian Borderhttp://kvnf.org/post/tensions-rising-poland-erects-observation-towers-russian-border
Like most former Soviet satellites, Poland has grown very suspicious of Russian intentions since the Kremlin annexed Crimea last year. Poles living near the 180-mile border their country shares with Russia became especially wary after their government, among others, accused Moscow of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/world/europe/russia-deploys-missiles-in-western-region.html?_r=0">deploying</a> nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad.<p>That area — which borders Poland — is the westernmost part of Russia.Sun, 14 Jun 2015 21:30:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson42663 at http://kvnf.orgWith Tensions Rising, Poland Erects Observation Towers On Russian BorderAfghan Women Climbers Face Challenges Beyond Scaling Summithttp://kvnf.org/post/afghan-women-climbers-face-challenges-beyond-scaling-summit
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Afghan+Women+Climbers+Face+Challenges+Beyond+Scaling+Summit&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1NTU5NzI4MDEyODAxNzA2NDdhODNkZg004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>In Afghanistan, 13 women and girls are preparing for an unprecedented climb up their country's highest mountain. Over the past two months, they've become leaner, stronger and more committed to making the ascent.Mon, 08 Jun 2015 21:18:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson42416 at http://kvnf.orgFor Afghan Women Mountaineers, Uphill Battles Begin Before The Climbhttp://kvnf.org/post/afghan-women-mountaineers-uphill-battles-begin-climb
<em>A team of 13 Afghan women is training to climb the country's highest mountain. Only two Afghans — both men — have ever made it to the 24,580-foot-high summit. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson has been following the female mountaineers' progress. You can read and listen to the previous report <a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/03/31/393900537/the-ascent-of-afghan-women">here</a>.</em><p>The 24,580-foot summit of Mount Noshaq pokes through a thick blanket of clouds like a bright spear.Mon, 08 Jun 2015 19:02:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson42411 at http://kvnf.orgFor Afghan Women Mountaineers, Uphill Battles Begin Before The ClimbPlagued By Smog, Krakow Struggles To Break Its Coal-Burning Habithttp://kvnf.org/post/plagued-smog-krakow-struggles-break-its-coal-burning-habit
Krakow is one of Europe's top tourist destinations and attracts millions of visitors each year to soak up its history, culture and architecture. But its appeal wanes during colder months when another prominent feature of the Polish city is on display: air pollution.<p>Environmental officials say Krakow's air is among the most polluted in Poland, which in turn, has the most polluted air in the European Union.<p>And what's the source of the smog hanging over the city during colder months?Sat, 11 Apr 2015 08:50:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson40026 at http://kvnf.orgPlagued By Smog, Krakow Struggles To Break Its Coal-Burning HabitThe Ascent Of Afghan Women http://kvnf.org/post/ascent-afghan-women
Zahra Karimi Nooristani, 18, cautiously works her way down a rock face high above Kabul as her coach, Farhad Jamshid, guides her.<p>It is hazardous for his top female student to be rappelling here, not only because of the steep drop, but because she is using a frayed, 9-year-old rope handed down from the men's mountaineering team.<p>Another danger she faces is the prospect of her neighbors finding out she's climbing at all.<p>Afghanistan is a mountainous country, but scaling the peaks for sport is a new concept here.Tue, 31 Mar 2015 09:00:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson39533 at http://kvnf.orgThe Ascent Of Afghan Women Germanwings Disaster Marks First Crash For The Budget Airlinerhttp://kvnf.org/post/germanwings-disaster-marks-first-crash-budget-airliner
The airline operating the plane that crashed in the French Alps says the plane had been inspected and found safe Monday. Officials in the German town that lost 16 schoolchildren in the disaster say there will be no classes tomorrow, but children will be welcomed for counseling. <div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR.Wed, 25 Mar 2015 16:40:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson39306 at http://kvnf.orgGermans Open Their Homes To Refugee Roommateshttp://kvnf.org/post/germans-open-their-homes-refugee-roommates
Asylum-seekers are flooding into Germany in record numbers, with more than 200,000 applying for that status last year, many from Muslim countries, according to the government.<p>This is fueling tensions on several fronts. Overwhelmed local officials often house the new arrivals in old schools and re-purposed shipping containers in neighborhoods where they aren't always welcome.Fri, 06 Mar 2015 17:09:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson38547 at http://kvnf.orgGermans Open Their Homes To Refugee RoommatesA German Muslim Asks His Compatriots: 'What Do You Want To Know?'http://kvnf.org/post/german-muslim-asks-his-compatriots-what-do-you-want-know
Sadiqu al-Mousllie sees humor as a good way to fight growing anti-Islam sentiment in Germany.<p>He lives in Braunschweig, in western Germany. Earlier this month, he decided to go downtown and hold up a sign that read, "I am a Moslem. What would you like to know?"<p>"This is a bridge of communication," the Syrian-born German says.Sat, 28 Feb 2015 09:35:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson38268 at http://kvnf.orgA German Muslim Asks His Compatriots: 'What Do You Want To Know?'Merkel's U.S. Visit Could Turn Testyhttp://kvnf.org/post/merkels-us-visit-could-turn-testy
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Merkel%27s+U.S.+Visit+Could+Turn+Testy&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDEwMTk5OTQ0MDEzNDkxMDYyMDQ2MjdiMw004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: <p>The city of Rio de Janeiro is rushing to get everything done before next summer's Olympics. But there is local opposition to how some projects are being managed, in particular, the construction of an Olympic golf course while the country faces a water crisis.Sun, 08 Feb 2015 13:01:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson37400 at http://kvnf.orgA Holocaust Survivor, Spared From Gas Chamber By Twist Of Fatehttp://kvnf.org/post/holocaust-survivor-spared-auschwitz-last-second
Seventy years ago, Soviet soldiers liberated Auschwitz, the most notorious of Nazi concentration camps.<p>Some 300 Holocaust survivors were at Auschwitz on Tuesday, along with several European presidents and other government officials, to honor at least 1.1 million people who were murdered, 1 million of whom were Jewish.<p>Among those killed there were Jack Mandelbaum's mother and brother.Tue, 27 Jan 2015 20:40:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson36864 at http://kvnf.orgA Holocaust Survivor, Spared From Gas Chamber By Twist Of FatePolice, Counter-Demonstrators Dampen Anti-Islam March In Leipzighttp://kvnf.org/post/police-counter-demonstrators-dampen-anti-islam-march-leipzig
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Police%2C+Counter-Demonstrators+Dampen+Anti-Islam+March+In+Leipzig&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDExMDQwMzQzMDEzNjMyMTE3MjRkNzlmNg004)"/></div><p>Wed, 21 Jan 2015 21:26:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson36649 at http://kvnf.orgA German Plan: House Refugees In An Old Concentration Camp http://kvnf.org/post/german-plan-house-refugees-old-concentration-camp
A housing shortage for asylum seekers in Germany has led one city to propose a controversial solution that would place 21 refugees in a barracks on the grounds of a Nazi-era concentration camp.<p>Carsten Morgenthal, who is a spokesman for the city of Schwerte in North Rhine Westphalia, tells the <em>Westdeutsche Allgemeine </em>newspaper it isn't the first time this would be done.<p>Two decades ago, Schwerte officials also placed refugees at what was once a forced labor branch of the notorious Buchenwald camp during World War II.<p>Schwerte officials say the building they plan to use for the lFri, 16 Jan 2015 22:24:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson36462 at http://kvnf.orgA German Plan: House Refugees In An Old Concentration Camp Anti-Immigrant Rally Draws Thousands In Dresdenhttp://kvnf.org/post/anti-immigrant-rally-draws-thousands-dresden
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Anti-Immigrant+Rally+Draws+Thousands+In+Dresden&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDExNDE2ODUyMDEzNjkxNjcyNDgxNWNhMg004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: <p>Thousands of people gathered in the eastern German city of Dresden today to demonstrate against what they describe as the Islamization of Western Europe. This was the 12th such protest in Dresden in this many weeks.Mon, 12 Jan 2015 21:32:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson36260 at http://kvnf.orgLong Plagued By Corruption, Romania Seeks To Make A Fresh Starthttp://kvnf.org/post/long-plagued-corruption-romania-seeks-make-fresh-start
Romania is one of the poorest and <a href="http://www.transparency.org/cpi2014" target="_blank">most corrupt countries</a> in Europe and it's been that way for years. It's a tough legacy to overcome, but there are signs the country is trying to make a fresh start.<p>Klaus Iohannis, an underdog presidential candidate who campaigned on a platform of fighting corruption, won a surprising victory last month over the ruling party's nominee.Sat, 27 Dec 2014 12:46:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson35599 at http://kvnf.orgLong Plagued By Corruption, Romania Seeks To Make A Fresh Start25 Years After Death, A Dictator Still Casts A Shadow In Romania http://kvnf.org/post/25-years-after-death-dictator-still-casts-shadow-romania
Twenty-five years ago, the Communist leaders of Eastern Europe were falling like dominoes. And on Christmas Day in 1989, Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were executed by firing squad.Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:44:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson35498 at http://kvnf.org25 Years After Death, A Dictator Still Casts A Shadow In Romania New Romanian President Vows To Crack Down On Corruptionhttp://kvnf.org/post/new-romanian-president-vows-crack-down-corruption
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=New+Romanian+President+Vows+To+Crack+Down+On+Corruption&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxODM0MDY4MDEyMTY4NDA3MzI3YjkzMw004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: <p>On Sunday, Romania will swear in a new president, the first to hail from Romania's German minority. Klaus Iohannis was a little-known regional mayor before he scored a surprise win last month over the current prime minister.Fri, 19 Dec 2014 21:43:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson35315 at http://kvnf.orgFrom German Teen To ISIS Jihadist: A Father's Struggle To Understandhttp://kvnf.org/post/german-teen-isis-jihadist-fathers-struggle-understand
Manfred Karg says he doesn't know how his eldest son, Alfons, became mixed up with radical Islamists.<p>Whatever happened, the German pensioner's 19-year-old son from Hamburg is now dead, one of at least 60 Germans killed fighting alongside ISIS militants, nine of them in suicide attacks, according to German authorities.<p>Karg says two young men with an "immigrant background" knocked on Alfons' mother's door to tell her of his death in Syria last summer.<p>"When she opened up, they said: 'Congratulations, your son is now in paradise,' " he says.<p>Karg adds they showed her a photograph of hisWed, 03 Dec 2014 20:13:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson34587 at http://kvnf.orgFrom German Teen To ISIS Jihadist: A Father's Struggle To UnderstandGerman Government May Say 'Nein' To After Work Emailshttp://kvnf.org/post/german-government-may-say-nein-work-emails-after-six
All of us are familiar with the sound a smartphone makes when an email or text has arrived. Our somewhat Pavlovian response is to pick up the device, see who the message is from and read it.<p>In Germany, a growing number of these emails come from the boss contacting employees after work. That's not healthy, say experts on work-related stress, including psychologist Gerdamarie Schmitz in Berlin, who is feeling the technological encroachment herself.<p>"This horrible phone I have with me, and so I get emails," she says.Mon, 01 Dec 2014 08:35:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson34478 at http://kvnf.orgGerman Government May Say 'Nein' To After Work EmailsThe Man Who Disobeyed His Boss And Opened The Berlin Wallhttp://kvnf.org/post/man-who-disobeyed-his-boss-and-opened-berlin-wall
<p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bN9ZRj3NBs</p>Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:11:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson33511 at http://kvnf.orgThe Man Who Disobeyed His Boss And Opened The Berlin Wall'Arbeit Macht Frei' Gate Stolen From Former Dachau Death Camphttp://kvnf.org/post/arbeit-macht-frei-gate-stolen-former-dachau-death-camp
German authorities say they're investigating possible neo-Nazi involvement in the theft of an iron gate at the former Dachau concentration camp bearing the infamous phrase: <em>"Arbeit Macht Frei"</em> or "Work Makes You Free."<p>Those eerie words greeted some 200,000 prisoners who arrived at Dachau, which was the first concentration camp the Nazi regime opened in Germany.Tue, 04 Nov 2014 15:04:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson33401 at http://kvnf.org'Arbeit Macht Frei' Gate Stolen From Former Dachau Death CampIn Berlin, Remaking The City Can Rekindle Old Frictionshttp://kvnf.org/post/berlin-remaking-city-can-rekindle-old-frictions
Berlin is an on-again, off-again capital with a darker history than most cities in Europe.<p>It served as the epicenter of Hitler's Third Reich and was nearly wiped off the map at the end of the last World War. Berlin was also the flashpoint of the Cold War between the United States and Russia. Their conflict split the city into two, leaving residents on either side cut off from each other in every way imaginable for a generation.<p>Still, visitors hoping to relive a John le Carre Cold War spy novel today are likely to be disappointed.Thu, 09 Oct 2014 07:04:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson32380 at http://kvnf.orgIn Berlin, Remaking The City Can Rekindle Old FrictionsGermany Red-Faced Over Military Equipment Failureshttp://kvnf.org/post/germany-red-faced-over-military-equipment-failures
Germany's defense minister warns that her country currently can't meet its long-term NATO commitments because of a widespread grounding of German military planes and helicopters.<p>"At the moment, we are below the target numbers announced a year ago on airborne systems we would want to make available to NATO within 180 days in cases of emergency," Ursula von der Leyen told the German newspaper <em>Bild am Sonntag</em> over the weekend.Mon, 29 Sep 2014 14:36:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson31983 at http://kvnf.orgGermany Red-Faced Over Military Equipment FailuresGermany's New Economy Minister Takes Aim At Arms Exports http://kvnf.org/post/germanys-new-economy-minister-takes-aim-arms-exports
Germany is <a href="http://www.sipri.org/yearbook/2013/05" target="_blank">the world's third-largest arms exporter</a> and Sigmar Gabriel, the country's minister for economic affairs, is determined to move his country farther down that list.<p>Gabriel argues that <a href="http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/transfers/transparency/national_reports/germany" target="_blank">exporting billions of dollars in arms annually,</a> much of it to countries with questionable human rights records, such as Saudi Arabia, is at odds with the pacifist identity Germany established after World War II.<p>In lTue, 23 Sep 2014 07:29:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson31772 at http://kvnf.orgGermany's New Economy Minister Takes Aim At Arms Exports Thousands Gather In Germany To Rally Against Anti-Semitismhttp://kvnf.org/post/thousands-gather-germany-rally-against-anti-semitism
In Berlin, thousands of people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday to demonstrate against a wave of harassment and attacks against Jews in Germany.Sun, 14 Sep 2014 21:10:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson31467 at http://kvnf.orgThousands Gather In Germany To Rally Against Anti-SemitismUkraine Announces Cease-Fire With Russia http://kvnf.org/post/ukraine-announces-cease-fire-russia
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Ukraine+Announces+Cease-Fire+With+Russia+&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDEwNzczMDA2MDEzNTg3ODA1MTAzZjYxNg004)"/></div><p>Wed, 03 Sep 2014 10:53:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson30999 at http://kvnf.orgResidents Join Soldiers In Shoring Up Defenses Of Key Ukrainian Porthttp://kvnf.org/post/residents-join-soldiers-shoring-defenses-key-ukrainian-port
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Residents+Join+Soldiers+In+Shoring+Up+Defenses+Of+Key+Ukrainian+Port&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA4MzMwMDM0MDEzMTg4NzQ3NzAwZDdjZg004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: <p>I'm Melissa Block. And as we've been reporting, NATO and world leaders are sharpening their criticism of Russia over its actions in Eastern Ukraine. And in Ukraine, residents of a strategic port city are working alongside government soldiers.Fri, 29 Aug 2014 20:29:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson30845 at http://kvnf.orgKiev Claims Russia Has Sights Set On New Eastern Ukrainian Cityhttp://kvnf.org/post/kiev-claims-russia-has-sights-set-new-eastern-ukrainian-city
Ukraine has accused Russia of trying to open a new front in the war between the government and pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine says its troops are involved in heavy fighting with an armored force that it says entered Ukrainian territory. Kiev has also released video of what it says is a group of captured Russian soldiers. Russia says the soldiers might have crossed the border inadvertently. <div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR.Tue, 26 Aug 2014 21:37:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson30708 at http://kvnf.orgRussian Convoy Crosses Ukrainian Border, Prompting Outcry From Westhttp://kvnf.org/post/russian-convoy-crosses-ukrainian-border-prompting-outcry-west
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Russian+Convoy+Crosses+Ukrainian+Border%2C+Prompting+Outcry+From+West&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxNzgwMzIyMDEyMTQ4NzkxNDM0OWYxYg004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: <p>From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED - I'm Audie Cornish.<p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>And I'm Robert Siegel. There's been strong international reaction to Russia's latest action in Ukraine.Fri, 22 Aug 2014 20:06:00 +0000Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson30549 at http://kvnf.org